You think you're allergic to henna hair dye because, after the application, you felt your scalp was itchy and burning?
In this blog post, we will find out if you have an allergic reaction to henna and what to do to avoid the annoying itchy and burning scalp.
Henna Allergy: how to understand if we're having an allergic reaction to henna
You must remember that, potentially, we can be allergic to everything, and that the fact that a product is natural, it doesn't mean it's harmless and it does not guarantee to be anallergic. Henna, specifically, contains various allergens, but there are only a few documented cases of henna allergy.
An allergy to a substance manifests itself after one is being exposed for a period of time to the allergen, and it does not depend on the quantity of product one's been exposed to. It can arise on every area of the body, not only on the head or the scalp. Generally, we have an allergic reaction right after the first exposure, but it can arise even after various applications or after years of one product's use.
In my blog posts and video tutorials I always suggest you to make a henna allergy skin test, 48 hours before the application of henna or herbal hair colors, in order to see if you're allergic to herbal hair dyes or not.
How to do an allergy skin test to see if you're allergic to henna?
1. Mix the henna (lawsonia) or the herbal hair color (katam, indigo or cassia) with water, or prepare the herbal hair colors mix (obviously a small quantity of it, but still using the right percentages) you want to apply on your hair.
2. Apply a small amount of the henna mix on your forearm and cover it with a band-aid.
3. Wait for 2 or 3 hours and if you don't feel any weird sensations, like itch or redness, you can use that specific herbal hair color or that specific mix of henna and herbal hair dyes because you're not allergic to it.
Just keep in mind that it's possible being allergic to only one specific allergen contained in a specific herbal hair color, even if you use all the other herbal hair colors with no problems.
If, instead, while keeping the henna on, you feel your scalp itchy and/or burning, or, after washing the mix away you notice that your skin is red and you feel it's itchy... if you notice you have a runny nose and you feel your eyes are burning, well, it's very likely that you're allergic to that specific herbal hair color, or to one of the herbal hair colors you used for the test. In this case, I strongly discourage you to apply herbal hair colors on your head and scalp.
The itchy sensation will disappear in a couple of hours after you'll wash the herbal hair colors away from your scalp.
The fact that the skin remains tinted (red or orange) is not an allergic symptom, but it's a normal reaction if the herbal hair colors are Body Art Quality (it means that they're appropriate for tattoos & one of the highest quality available on the market), like Beautilicious Delights' herbal hair colors.
Moreover, the Body Art Quality Henna is synonymous with purity, hence it guarantees that there are neither PPD nor chemical ingredients in it.
What causes itchy and sore scalp if it is not an allergy issue?
If, during the henna allergy skin test, everything went fine and you didn't have any allergic reaction to henna, why, after the application, do you still feel an itchy and a burning scalp?
The video tutorials are in Italian, but English subtitles are available!
Possible causes that may provoke an itchy burning scalp, and NOT a proper allergic reaction to henna:
1. The henna you're using is impure:
It might have been cut with other herbs to which your skin is intolerant, or it may contain sand that has a too aggressive scrub-effect on the scalp.
It contains sodium picramate to which many people are allergic. I talked about the role of the sodium picramate if added to henna in the following article:
3. You let the herbal hair colors mix sit on your scalp for too long: from 6 to 9 - 12 hours.
The irritation and sensitization of the scalp happen when the scalp can't take it any longer.
A too long exposure of the skin to the herbal hair dyeing mix causes a dehydration of the scalp. The more you wait, the more the herbal hair colors tend to re-hydrate themselves by absorbing water from the skin and the hair. I recommend you to read the article I wrote about For How Long and How Often you should Apply Henna and Herbal Hair Colors Mix?
4. The itchy burning scalp is most of the times caused from the henna residues on the scalp.
What should you do to avoid a burning scalp and its sensitization?
Be sure to buy first quality and pure henna and herbal hair colors: in the cosmetic ingredients list there must be written only the name of the plant. Please, avoid buying loose herbal hair dyes: you can't be sure neither of their origin nor of their purity.
Leave the henna mix sit on your scalp for the minimum time possible. I personally manage to obtain a perfect coverage of my gray hair (more than the 75% of my regrowth is gray) by letting the henna mix sit for only three and a half hours. If you don't need to cover gray hair, you can let the mix on your head just for 2 hours and still obtain great results.
Avoid adding any other ingredient to your henna mix, whether they're acid ingredients or not. Do NOT use essential oils, because there's a high risk of burning your scalp, especially if you let the mix sit for a long time.
Be sure to rinse and wash away every henna residue or every bit of herbal hair dye. In order to make this operation easier, just fill a bowl or the sink with water and immerse your hair in it.
Use only a natural shampoo, silicone-free - find out why you have to detox your hair from silicones and how the silicones affect the release of the color - and dilute it just to be sure that the surfactants did their job removing each and every henna residue left on the scalp.
Lastly, rinse your hair with cold water to relieve the burning scalp. To alleviate the itchy sensation, apply on your skin an aloe vera gel.
Even though the Beautilicious Delights Herbal Hair Dyes are completely free from synthetic chemical substances and even though they're 100% natural (they contain only the dried and powdered plant), they can still lead to sensitization of the scalp or to allergic reactions as every one of us is unique.
In order to avoid this kind of reaction, I suggest you to do the allergy skin test I talked about at the beginning of the article, prior to applying the henna mix to your scalp.
Just remember that the allergic reaction that can be caused by a pure herbal hair dye has nothing to do with the allergic reaction caused by PPD: this allergic reaction causes a much more violent irritation and evident swelling and redness.
Have you ever had allergic reactions to henna or itchy scalp or burning scalp after using henna? What did you do to alleviate the annoying sore scalp?
I love using Katam on my hair to naturally color my hair with henna a darker shade than what henna alone would provide. Indigo gives me headaches, so katam is a great alternative!
I am very happy with the henna and katam I bought. It was the first time I bought something here. I never used katam before - only henna, but became interested after watching the videos. I only have had one application yet, but I am already happy with the color. It was easy to apply and rinse out, so the quality is very good. Everything was well packaged and safely send.
I received my order in time and the products are of very good quality! Still working out problems regarding the mixing together 3 ingredients (lawsonia, indigo & Cassia), since I do not always get homogeneous results in my hair (spots of red or bluish dominance). I highly recommend the products to people who love natural beauty care.
I AM LOOKING FOR A DARK BROWN AND USED 50/50 INDIGO & RED HENNA. LEFT IT ON FOR 6 HRS. JUST A LITTLE LIGHT SO I THINK I NEED TO INCREASE THE INDIGO AND LEAVE ON A LITTLE LONGER. WAY EASY TO MIX AND USE. THE SHOWER CAP AND WOOL HAT HAD ME DRINKING LOTS OF ICE WATER AS I DID MY HOUSE WORK FOR I WAS A LITTLE WARM!! I DID'T MIND THE MILD GRASSY SMELL AT ALL BUT THE RINSE WAS COLLLDDD...LOL I WILL BE ORDERING AGAIN SOON
This is the stuff dreams are made of! I mix 2 tablespoons Sidr and 2 tablespoons hydrated Fenugreek powder (I keep a small jar of it in the fridge because I use it as a hair mask and facial mask). Add hot water to get a consistency you like, whisk it till frothy, let set 5 minutes or so and use as shampoo. I will never again subject my hair to chemically laden shampoos again! No more hair fall out, the Sidr preserves my henna color and the Fenugreek gives me great body.
I buy several of your products, the red henna being one of them. My hair is finally healthy looking and easier to take care of! The color your red henna gives me is unbelievable! thank you for the high quality of your products!!
These products are like putting gold in your hair. You have the satisfaction of knowing you are not harming your hair, as a matter of fact, you are totally nourishing your hair as well as making your hair as beautiful as possible without even one chemical. I am a customer for life. Rozalia has guided me through the entire process many times answering my silly questions and alleviating my fears. She is a great lady. I am so appreciative of her for being as honest as she is. Even if you don’t like her answer, she tells you how it is. You could not get more for your money than these products. I am not paid or compensated in any way for this review. This is all coming from the bottom of my heart!
Rozalia is super wonderful at getting back to me with any questions and concerns I had regarding coloring and what percentage of product to use. I purchased indigo and lawsonia which I have not used yet, but the products look great and they are 100 percent with no fillers as in some other henna powders. I would certainly recommend Beautilicious to anyone wanting to color their hair with natural non toxic products! Shipping was fairly quick and easy considering I am in Chicago Illinois.
I diluted henna with Cassia 45/55. I’m happy to have a nice even brown without using indigo. My hair was chemically treated before and after that I used a store bought henna I’m sure was cut with sand. Now my hair is even and grey roots are mostly covered. Next time I will increase the henna 75. Great product!
I am so absolutely thrilled with all products, especially the Katam, I have purchased from you. My hair has never been as healthy as it is now. After 20 plus years of using chemical color and shampoo, it took almost 5 months to correct all the damage-and your products helped me do it. You have a customer for life.
Having purchased the pack of 3 colour hennas I’ve been very happy with the outcome. With guidance from Rozalia I managed to cover my grey using two step applications. The final colour resulted in a lovely deep auburn/copper with much shine. Will be continuing to use these products.
Absolutely loved applying this henna. I applied a mix of katam, lawsonia and cassia and could not be more happy with my choice. IT REALLY COVERS GRAYS (i have less then 10%) and i applied it for less then 4 hours.
The colour is so beautiful, never could imagined i finally could have a warm brown tone that enhances my natural color.
So happy! Thank you Rosalia for being a champion on women's natural beauty.
Very high quality of the products. I colored my hair with red henna and katam (50/50) and got brown color. My grey hair were fully covered so I am satisfied. Also the product for hair care (Methi) was good. I used it in stead of a shampoo and it gave a good result. My hair were clean and it gave me a nice volume. I like how it smels too, it reminds me of chesetnuts=) Good job!
Dye your Gray Hair Chocolate Brown using Henna! Henna BEFORE & AFTER Pics
Does Brown Henna EXIST? How to mix henna to dye your grey hair brown without any hints of red!
Allergic to Henna Hair Dye? Henna Itchy, Sore & Burning Scalp? Here's what you can do!
You think you're allergic to henna hair dye because, after the application, you felt your scalp was itchy and burning?
In this blog post, we will find out if you have an allergic reaction to henna and what to do to avoid the annoying itchy and burning scalp.
Henna Allergy: how to understand if we're having an allergic reaction to henna
You must remember that, potentially, we can be allergic to everything, and that the fact that a product is natural, it doesn't mean it's harmless and it does not guarantee to be anallergic. Henna, specifically, contains various allergens, but there are only a few documented cases of henna allergy.
An allergy to a substance manifests itself after one is being exposed for a period of time to the allergen, and it does not depend on the quantity of product one's been exposed to. It can arise on every area of the body, not only on the head or the scalp. Generally, we have an allergic reaction right after the first exposure, but it can arise even after various applications or after years of one product's use.
In my blog posts and video tutorials I always suggest you to make a henna allergy skin test, 48 hours before the application of henna or herbal hair colors, in order to see if you're allergic to herbal hair dyes or not.
How to do an allergy skin test to see if you're allergic to henna?
1. Mix the henna (lawsonia) or the herbal hair color (katam, indigo or cassia) with water, or prepare the herbal hair colors mix (obviously a small quantity of it, but still using the right percentages) you want to apply on your hair.
2. Apply a small amount of the henna mix on your forearm and cover it with a band-aid.
3. Wait for 2 or 3 hours and if you don't feel any weird sensations, like itch or redness, you can use that specific herbal hair color or that specific mix of henna and herbal hair dyes because you're not allergic to it.
Just keep in mind that it's possible being allergic to only one specific allergen contained in a specific herbal hair color, even if you use all the other herbal hair colors with no problems.
If, instead, while keeping the henna on, you feel your scalp itchy and/or burning, or, after washing the mix away you notice that your skin is red and you feel it's itchy... if you notice you have a runny nose and you feel your eyes are burning, well, it's very likely that you're allergic to that specific herbal hair color, or to one of the herbal hair colors you used for the test. In this case, I strongly discourage you to apply herbal hair colors on your head and scalp.
The itchy sensation will disappear in a couple of hours after you'll wash the herbal hair colors away from your scalp.
The fact that the skin remains tinted (red or orange) is not an allergic symptom, but it's a normal reaction if the herbal hair colors are Body Art Quality (it means that they're appropriate for tattoos & one of the highest quality available on the market), like Beautilicious Delights' herbal hair colors.
Moreover, the Body Art Quality Henna is synonymous with purity, hence it guarantees that there are neither PPD nor chemical ingredients in it.
What causes itchy and sore scalp if it is not an allergy issue?
If, during the henna allergy skin test, everything went fine and you didn't have any allergic reaction to henna, why, after the application, do you still feel an itchy and a burning scalp?
The video tutorials are in Italian, but English subtitles are available!
Possible causes that may provoke an itchy burning scalp, and NOT a proper allergic reaction to henna:
1. The henna you're using is impure:
The Ultimate Guide to Henna & Herbal Hair Dyes Preparation and Application.
2. You add to your henna and herbal hair color mix, ingredients other than warm water:
If you have been following my blog assiduously, I'm sure you know that I strongly discourage you to add other ingredients in the henna mix. I talk about this topic in The Ultimate Guide to Henna & Herbal Hair Dyes Preparation and Application.
3. You let the herbal hair colors mix sit on your scalp for too long: from 6 to 9 - 12 hours.
The irritation and sensitization of the scalp happen when the scalp can't take it any longer.
A too long exposure of the skin to the herbal hair dyeing mix causes a dehydration of the scalp. The more you wait, the more the herbal hair colors tend to re-hydrate themselves by absorbing water from the skin and the hair. I recommend you to read the article I wrote about For How Long and How Often you should Apply Henna and Herbal Hair Colors Mix?
4. The itchy burning scalp is most of the times caused from the henna residues on the scalp.
What should you do to avoid a burning scalp and its sensitization?
Lastly, rinse your hair with cold water to relieve the burning scalp. To alleviate the itchy sensation, apply on your skin an aloe vera gel.
RECOMMENDED READING: Shiny & Soft Hair with an Acid Rinse: Apple Vinegar or Lemon?
Even though the Beautilicious Delights Herbal Hair Dyes are completely free from synthetic chemical substances and even though they're 100% natural (they contain only the dried and powdered plant), they can still lead to sensitization of the scalp or to allergic reactions as every one of us is unique.
In order to avoid this kind of reaction, I suggest you to do the allergy skin test I talked about at the beginning of the article, prior to applying the henna mix to your scalp.
Just remember that the allergic reaction that can be caused by a pure herbal hair dye has nothing to do with the allergic reaction caused by PPD: this allergic reaction causes a much more violent irritation and evident swelling and redness.
Have you ever had allergic reactions to henna or itchy scalp or burning scalp after using henna? What did you do to alleviate the annoying sore scalp?
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Take care of your skin and hair consciously. You'll find everything you need (even herbal hair colors) on our online shop. Click HERE to visit it!
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